Tag Archives: Toyota Prius

Christmas is less than 2 weeks away, and the holiday deals are in full swing. Sorting through all the cash-back-bonus-bucks-low-APR-for-60-months offers can be a daunting task for even the savviest deal seeker, which is why Approved Loan Store has compiled some of the best holiday deals all in one place. This is only part 1, so keep an eye on the blog in the next week for more great car deals!

Hyundai

0% APR for 72 months on the 2013 Hyundai Elantra, Elantra Coupe, and Elantra GT, No Down Payment is Required

0 percent financing actually means $13.89 per month per $1,000 financed, and not every buyer can qualify for the deal. Consumers with poor credit or no credit might not fall under the program’s parameters, but car buyers who are interested in the deal will need to move fast as the offer ends January 2, 2014.

There is plenty of fine print on these deals, though. The delivery must happen by January 2, 2014, and the deals are not available on finance or lease offers. Car buyers who have enough funds on hand to pay for the whole car outright can find a good deal, but everyone else will have to check out their financing deals below.

As it is with all of these deals, they are subject to approval and can vary by location.

Check back with Approved Loan Store in the days leading up to Christmas for more deals. If you are tired of looking and ready to get into a great new or used car for the best rates, Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get you into a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more car buying and credit tips, check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

While a lot of automotive press is dedicated to the newest models or what lies ahead for automotive brands, Edmunds took a break this week to compile their list of the best used cars of 2013.

There are a lot of good reasons to buy a used car. For one, buyers can end up saving a lot of money and still get a quality car. Second, the value of a new car will depreciate very quickly, so if the buyer plans on trading it in sometime in the next few years, they might be unpleasantly surprised when they go for a trade-in depending on the model. Just as it is with any major decision, an argument can be made either way for buying new or used, but for our customers looking for a great used car, here is Edmund’s list of their used car picks for 2013.

Brand-wise, Honda and Toyota tied for the most vehicles on the list with 4 each, followed closely by Ford with 3 vehicles on the list. By choosing a vehicle for each category instead of top 10 or 20 used vehicles in general, there is a car on the list for every driver and every family’s needs.

So far in 2013, Ford has sold 37,000 hybrid vehicles including the Ford C-MAX Hybrid, Ford C-MAX Energi, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Ford Fusion Energi, and Lincoln MKZ. Even more exciting, sales numbers are up 375 percent compared to the first five months of 2012.

For years, the Toyota Prius has been the hybrid to beat, and there is no denying that it is still the big dog in hybrid vehicles. In California, the Prius beat out all other vehicles in the first quarter of the year, including its gasoline and diesel-powered competitors. It is vital, however, that there is some competition in the hybrid market. Automakers like Toyota will be forced to work harder and deliver a better product, and car buyers will have more great cars to choose from. Ultimately, consumers will win.

All press is good press, and lots of press and online chatter about the Prius are leading to millions of dollars in free publicity for Toyota.

A study from GenSents Insights, a social analytics company, found that the Toyota Prius is the most discussed hybrid vehicle online, generating approximately $14.5 million in media value from January through April. Discussion of the Prius was monitored on Facebook, YouTube, Google, and other popular social media websites. Prius was mentioned in about 86,000 Twitter tweets, over 8,300 of them accumulating solely from a mention of the Prius by Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame.

Honda Fit came in second place at $4.5 million in online buzz, $10 million less than the Prius. Third, fourth, and fifth place were all very close with Chevrolet Volt at $3.1 million followed by Tesla Motors with $3 million and Honda Insight at $2.9 million.

Readers, we want to hear from you. Does online buzz about a car make you more likely to test drive it and ultimately buy it? Do you think the online buzz for the Toyota Prius is justified? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

While these discounts will vary by region and dealership, New Yorkers can get approximately $6,500 off on a 2012 Prius plug-in or $4,650 off a 2013 Prius plug-in. They are hoping that the discounts will make car buyers take another look at Prius instead of going with other popular hybrid and electric models such as the 2013 Ford C-Max, the 2013 Nissan Leaf, or the 2013 Chevy Volt.

In an interview with Wards Auto, Toyota Div. Group Vice President Bill Fay acknowledged that the price cuts would make the Prius more competitive, but their main focus is making the car more affordable for the average driver. “I think we have to be cognizant of the world those shoppers are operating in…and we have to be sure we offer the same kind of value when they go to buy the vehicle.” This isn’t a bad idea considering that hybrids and electric cars have been relatively expensive in the past. Perhaps Toyota’s discounts will push more drivers to make the switch to a more environmentally-conscious car.

The 2013 Toyota Prius boasts 47.3 average miles per gallon. The 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid gets a combined highway and city 47 mpg. While these have been impressive numbers up until now, a new vehicle is boasting an unheard of fuel economy of 84 mpg.

Elio Motors announced that it is now taking reservations on its revolutionary new vehicle, the Elio. The Elio is technically classified as a motorcycle. It has only 3 wheels, 2 in front and one in the back, but the vehicle is enclosed like a car. It can hold a driver and one additional passenger, and the trunk space measures 27” x 14” x 10”.

While the Elio certainly isn’t built for families or anyone needing extra space, this is the perfect car for singles or couples. For a person who needs to commute into the city for work, the Elio is a great middle ground between a car and a motorcycle or moped. Plus, the price tag is very reasonable at only $6800.

Elio Motors has already started taking reservations on their website, but the Elio will not be available for sale until 2014.

Readers, what do you think? Would you feel comfortable driving an Elio? Do you think vehicles like the Elio are the future of cars or just a fad? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

When shopping for a car, it is important to look at the long-term value of that car. As 2012 comes to an end, Consumer Reports has released its list of the top vehicles that will retain their original value, and they chose an overall best value from the wide range of vehicles on the market last year. Needless to say, Toyota was very happy with the results.

Across the board, Toyota Motor Company was the clear favorite taking 7 of the 11 categories with the Lexus RX350 included, and none of Toyota Motor Company’s vehicles made the Worst Value list. No other automaker even came close to that level of excellence. Better yet, many of the vehicles featured on the list are hybrid vehicles or have an extremely good fuel economy, so consumers are saving money at the pump.

Getting consumers to adapt to new technology is tough, and the electric car has faced its fair share of challenges. Sales numbers for electric cars in November, however, bode well for the future of the electric car.

November sales numbers from Maxim Group show that car dealers sold 7,600 electric cars in November alone with a yearly total so far of 47,500. Right now, projections predict that dealers will sell 56,000 electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars by the end of 2012.

Industry analysts attribute the electric car’s success in 2012 to a variety of new electric vehicles as well as deep discounts and incentives on existing models. Nissan has worked to make the Nissan Leaf more affordable, and Chevy has offered discounts adding up to $10,000 in savings on the Volt. Some of the newer models have really led the pack, though, with Ford selling 1,259 of the C-Max Energi, a vehicle that was only just introduced in November. Those numbers are very strong considering that the Chevy Volt sold 1,519 units and the Toyota Prius sold 1,766 units in November.

The demand for electric cars is only going to go up, especially as the economy continues to recover and consumers can better afford electric cars. Right now is an exciting time for the auto industry as they move more and more towards electric and hybrid vehicles. Soon, consumers will be able to pay less at the pump and lessen our negative impact on the environment.

Back in October, we brought you the nominees for the 2013 Green Car of the Year Award and our predictions for this year’s winner. The winner was announced last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and while the Ford C-MAX was not victorious, Ford still went home very happy.

The 2013 Ford Fusion was the winner chosen by Green Car Journal, beating out tough competitors like the Dodge Dart Aero, Ford C-MAX, Mazda CX-5, and Toyota Prius. With an estimated 47 mpg in city, highway, and combined driving, the Ford Fusion is a fantastic choice for drivers looking for the best fuel economy. Additionally, Ford is releasing a plug-in hybrid version of the Fusion early in 2013 called the Ford Fusion Energi.

This week, Approved Loan Store is running a poll on its Facebook page, and we want you to weigh in! Which car do you think should have been named Green Car of the Year? Do you think Green Car Journal got it right, or was your money on the C-MAX? Go to Approved Loan Store on Facebook or click here to cast your vote!

Earlier this week, ALG announced the winners of its 14th Annual Residual Value Awards which honors vehicles that are projected to retain the highest percentage of MSRP after a three-year period. Top honors for Mainstream and Premium brands went to Honda and Acura, but the big winner of the year was Toyota with six awards.